The elegant Grand Classic 4200 GT Maserati Coupe/Spyder has received high praise from many car enthusiasts even being compared to a Ferrari. The reason for the comparison is the Maserati’s look and allure which have the look and feel of a Ferrari.

If you consider the Maserati a supercar, then it is one of the cheapest supercars on the market.

History

Maserati Spyder

The 4200 Maserati was launched 21 years ago right after Ferrari bought into the Maserati brand. They did so because the former Grand Prix great was in financial distress and on the verge of collapse. The company seriously needed saving.

Since the two companies shared more than just the Mistral, Ferrari decide to take a chance and ended up being wildly successful. By 1999, a thousand units of the 4200 GT Maserati had been produced.

The Maserati 4200 GT Coupe/Spyder was introduced to the public in 1998. It had a powerful 370 horsepower, V8 twin turbo engine which had been adopted from the Quattroporte.

It also had six speed manual transmission with the option later to acquire a four speed BTR automatic transmission. The Maserati 4200 GT was the first vehicle in the world to use the creative boomerang design for its LED tail lights with indicators on the inside.

2005 Maserati 4200 GT

In early 1999, Maserati started to produce the RHD models of the car. They also added the GTA version during the same year which was 30 kg heavier and a unique tuning for two pedal sports cars.

In the year 2001, the company produced the 3200 GT Assetto Corsa on a limited basis. It has a lower suspension, tighter springs, specific cooling ducts for the brakes and wider anti-roll bars. The cabin had black leather with red stitching plus special Pirelli tires.

In 2002, Maserati released the 4200 GT new version which lost the boomerang lights design and though it had a very similar exterior to the original, much had changed on the inside.

One of the major differences in the new version is that it had a 4.2-liter 390 BHP Ferrari engine. You had the option of acquiring a six-speed manual transmission or an electro-hydraulic manual transmission using F1 racing technology.

Another significant difference was the engine was now placed in the back of the vehicle. This was done for better weight distribution.

From 2003 to 2004 the car underwent a minor facelift with the Spyder version now having a rear mirror made from glass instead of plastic as was the case before.

They also released the Gransport version of the 4200 GT with a completely returned suspension and engine strength of 400 BHP. The transmission allowed for faster gear shifting.

The Spyder version that was released in 2005 and was the elegant 4200 Maserati’s final release. The entire line was discontinued in 2007.

Driving

The 4200 GT Maserati, though not as fast as a Ferrari could certainly match other supercars such as the Aston Martin DB9. With a 370 horsepower V8 engine it could easily go from 0 to 60 in 6 seconds.

The Maserati also had immaculate handling especially if you tend to oversteer. The car’s electronic throttle made driving the 4200 GT much more daring and fascinating.

Best Models

The Coupe version of the 4200 GT Maserati is definitely the wisest buy of the line. The reason is because the mistakes inherent in the earlier 3200 series were fixed once Maserati collaborated with Ferrari.

The rear transmission significantly improved the vehicle’s handling.

The Asserto Corsa was also a good version of the 4200 GT model since it had a lot of retuning done for the better and even had unique Pirelli tires.

Maserati 4200 GT 2002 – 2007 Coupe

Price

The elegant Maserati 4200 GT has undergone major prices changes since the 3200 series days. For the ones produced in the early days; you could get one for about £20,000. If it has a bit of history, you can get one for about £16,000.

The later 4200 series releases cost about £40,000. However, because most people are selling theirs, you can find great deals online for as low as £20,000. With better supercars being produced each year, the price will surely continue going down.

The 4200 Maserati GT offers a supercar motoring experience for much less. I would recommend it to anyone willing to buy and maintain one.